Dear Church Family,
Last week a friend sent me a picture of someone on the phone who called 9-1-1. Her fictitious words were, “Yes. I’d like to report some people not living in fear.” Please keep in mind that this should be seen as humor. Yet, if “not living in fear” was a crime, would someone be calling the police about you? It can be said that the virus crisis has caused a pandemic of fear.
“But God” has given His people immunity from fear. There are many ways this can be shown. Let me share three, each of which provides great reason to worship God. The first is his character or who God is. A few words fail to capture the majesty of God’s being. The fourth question of the Shorter Catechism summarizes, “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, just, goodness, and truth.” So much more could and has been written about Him. Sarah sang in our worship yesterday of how the character of God removes fear:
“Though the nations rage, kingdoms rise and fall; there is still one King reigning over all,
So I will not fear for this truth remains: that my God is the Ancient of Days.”
The resurrection of Jesus gives us a second reason to no longer fear. “Do not be afraid” compose the first words spoken to Mary in Matthew 28 by the angel and by Jesus after He rose from the dead. Fear disappears as we remember the victory that Jesus won through His redemptive work. Our enemies of sin and death have been defeated. The refrain of “Because He Lives” drives this point home:
“Because He lives I can face tomorrow; because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives.”
I could easily put this third point into either of the first two, but it deserves to stand alone. 1 John 4:18 simply states, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” Jesus has loved us perfectly. We may not understand this truth fully on this side of heaven. Yet even now and forever, we get to bask in the unmerited favor of our Heavenly Father. He has loved us with an everlasting love. His care for us cannot be matched. He has promised to never leave us and nothing can separate us from Him. He has removed the punishment our sins deserved as far as the east is from the west.
May we be seen by others as people who do not live in fear – whether they call 9-1-1 or not!
With great hope,
Pastor Gillikin